The Championship Course at University of New Mexico Set to Host the 53rd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship

Federal Way, Wash. – The 7,248-yard, par-72 Championship Course at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque will host the world’s most accomplished amateur golfers for the 53rd installment of the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.

The 53rd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, hosted by the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association (SCAGA), will take place July 23-26, 2019. This will be the first time in history that the Pacific Coast Amateur will be played in New Mexico.

“The Sun Country Amateur Golf Association is honored to be the host association for this year’s championship,” said Dana Lehner, executive director of the SCAGA. “We’re no stranger to elite competition and know that the University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course will provide a phenomenal test for the best amateur players from around the world that flock to the Pacific Coast Amateur. The Land of Enchantment stands at the ready to play host to what is one of the premier amateur championships on the calendar.”

The Pacific Coast Amateur routinely attracts players from around the world with resumés boasting illustrious victories in other jewel amateur golf events, and it remains the West Coast’s elite level event that is circled on all amateur golf calendars in North America and around the globe. The Pacific Coast Amateur has regularly received an “A” strength ranking by the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), provided by the R&A and USGA.

In 2018, Isaiah Salinda held off one of amateur golf’s most competitive fields to capture the 2018 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship at The Olympic Club – Lake Course. The highlight of the week was in the third round when Salinda made birdie on more than half of his holes, posting a new competitive course record of nine under par 62. Salinda went on to be a semifinalist in the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach.

Much of the recent success of the event can be directly attributed to the quality of the venue. “The nationally recognized Championship Course at the University of New Mexico will flash its versatility and do its part in identifying the best player as champion,” said Troy Andrew, executive director of the Pacific Coast Golf Association. “The quality of our field and our ability to continuously recruit the game’s best amateurs is directly attributed to the reputation and quality of the venue selected to host.”

The Championship Course at the University of New Mexico has been nationally recognized by Golf Digest as one of the top-25 public courses in the country. It has been the site of numerous regional and national NCAA championships, including several Division I Men’s Golf Championships. The Championship Course has also been the home to the William H. Tucker Invitational (second-longest running college tournament), and in 2018 it hosted the 64th incarnation of the event. The course has also been home to a few Western Athletic Conference Men’s Championships.

“It is our honor and privilege to serve as the site of the 2019 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship,” stated Adam Roybal, general manager and PGA Professional of University of New Mexico golf courses. “We are accustomed to hosting elite amateur championships and are proud to showcase our nationally recognized facility. We are confident the Championship Course at UNM will provide a great test to the top-ranked amateurs from around the world.”

Past host sites for the event include The OIympic Club last year, Eugene Country Club (which also served as host site of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship), as well as Chambers Bay, Bandon Dunes and Martis Camp to name a few.

ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE AT UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO
Since it was officially opened in 1967, The Championship Golf Course has been one of the finest facilities of its kind nationwide. It has been nationally recognized by Golf Digest as one of the top-25 public courses in the country, and in January of 1991 Golfweek rated all public and private courses in the country by state, and dubbed The Championship Course the No. 1 course to play in New Mexico. In 1998, Golfweek tabbed The Championship Course No. 2 in the West, behind only the Stanford University Golf Course in Palo Alto, Calif. The Championship Course is no stranger to major tournaments. It was the site of the 1950, 1976 and 1992 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships as well as the 1998 NCAA Championships. In 1987 the course was the sight of the women’s NCAA championship. More information can be found by visiting https://unmgolf.unm.edu/

ABOUT THE PACIFIC COAST GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Pacific Coast Amateur Championship is one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur golf championships in North America. The first tournament was held on the links of San Francisco Golf Club at The Presidio in 1901. After being played until 1911, The Pacific Coast Amateur then ceased to exist, only to be reconstituted at Seattle Golf Club in 1967. Today, 15 member Pacific Rim golf associations comprise the Pacific Coast Golf Association. More information about the association and the Pacific Coast Amateur can be found at www.pacificcoastamateur.com